Chinese loooooove queuing. The plane hasn't even started boarding yet.
See you in a week Honkers.
And Beijing and it's famous smog layer. That's the real blue sky above, and the man made brown poisonous Beijing atmosphere we are descending into below.
And in we go!
Mmmmmm, breathe it in.
And Joey ...
... has a girlfriend. Sorry ladies.
Morning view form Joey's.
2 Beijing Treats > Nick and Sizzlers. Nick is making a living playing jazz in local pubs and corporate gigs. Good work if you can get it.
The Chinese commitment to giant Christmas props continues.
Sedan chair.
Capitalism rules.
No, I didn't. But I certainly was tempted.
A real Mercedes (right] with a Chinese Geeley 'E Series' (left]. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
We invest in some quality goods.
Plory. What is Plory? Fortunately they tell you. 'Plory is rooted in the heritage of Ivy League Style.it is the combine word of pride & glory. Plory shows the lifestyle of the young men who like ivy league campus style in their early twenties. Plory has the sensibilities of the brand'.
So who is Prich? Well obviously the combination of Plory & rich. I'm sure they have the sensibilities of the brand.
What the Chinese can do with confectionery cream.
Caught up with Jackie, Ding Ding's EX boyfriend. She's a cruel mistress.
Random.
Joey and I went on a night walk.
A freezing cold night.
Joey and I hit up the Temple of Heaven. Why? He has never gone. Nice coffee mug!
But not before breakfast.
A delicious breakfast.
And here we are. Don't be fooled by the sunshine.
It is brutally cold!
And the wind was blowing. We pretty much had the place to ourselves!
That's good to know.
That too.
And here it is.
Beautiful.
No nails.
Standing from the late 1400's.
And Joey didn't care. He won't be back. History is not his strong point. He is more worried about the prices of apartments in Beijing. It was 5,000 rmb ($850 Aus] per square meter 5 years back. Now it's 20,000 rmb ($3,300 Aus] per square meter! Impossible for regular people to buy. Why? Comunist party members have interests in land development companies. For example every subway station in Beijing, a city of over 15 million people, has to have a metal detector to unecessarily scan the bag of every single passenger! Why? The prime minister's son owns the metal detector company. 'Animal Farm' anyone?
Ding Ding returned from Spain on Friday night. She is now an international tour guide taking Chinese groups to Greece, Spain and Italy. So after a day of sleeping off jet lag we headed out. It was amazing that our schedules to be in Beijing crossed over by 2 days.
We went to Christmas Carols sung by Chinese street kids in an orphanage run by Western volunteers. Ding Ding and Joey had never heard of such a thing and were quite touched by it all.
Irene from Indonesia and Pontus from Sweden were also there at our freezing cold table. Both are studying Chinese at uni.
Good night. It was great being out, just us three again. Just like old times. Ding Ding informed me I had been in Beijing the last three Decembers in a row. I hadn't realised! They are good friends.
Spent hours and hours on the Beijing subway system.
At minus 9C and blowing a freezing wind outside it's the only way to travel.
It takes over an hour and a half to get to the Beijing International church on Sunday. It's almost 4 hours in transit by the time you get home again.
Saw Nick for one last Russian lunch. Yes, I did have the borsch.
Then a final dinner with Ding Ding and Joey.
At quite a well to do restaurant I might add.
And Ding Ding's new boyfriend Rick and fish. He works immigration security at the airport and knew the company and flight number for my flight to HK the next day purely by me telling him the time of my leaving. Do you know how many planes go through Beijing airport in a day? This guy knows his stuff!
Joey bought me a cab to the airport in the morning.
And it's a massive operation. You book in at one huge building, then catch a train to the terminal for your flight. And that's just terminal 3. And they're building another one. Rick's job is safe.
A plane takes off to leave the smog layer, clearly visible in this shot.
Free! Just. Smog delineation still visible at the bottom of this pic.
Our turn, right in the midst of it.
Almost free.
Free. Fresh air all the way ... until you hit HK. On landing in HK the cabin filled with the what could only be described as the smell of burning rubber. The pilot came over the intercom and told us not to worry about the plane, it was just the HK polluted air.
Garth, Simon's brother and best man at his wedding, which I attended in South Africa, was waiting to greet me. But I slept at Graham and Irina's who live in the building next door.
And then into HK in the morning to buy some quality Christmas presents for my family.
And straight back to the HK airport for my midnight flight to Adelaide.
I wondered why there was a one hour delay due to technical issues. Oh, Wes, from the HK church, is flying us. I told him not to worry and I'd fix it.
So I quickly popped into the cabin and jiggled a few things and we were off (Um, if you work for any International Air Safety investigative group I might like to add that this may not be exactly as it happened, no international safety protocols were breached and that Wes should keep his job] Landed safely in Adelaide at 11 the next morning to 38C, and a big sleep. Good to be home.
The plane to HK was delayed for an hour, with us on board, whilst they did "minor engine checks and tests"
After reading Dave's book on plane crashes this was not a comforting sight before a 14 hour flight.
But it went well. I didn't sleep so I landed at about 8.45m HK time, 5am my bodies time, and got to bed at Simon & Jorike's place 7am.
I watched some movies and had some magazines to read. Damn Christians!
So anyway, I'm in HK. I spent Sunday with Ryan & Kylie and fam.
Asher is the latest addition.
And Jono on Monday. Also I applied for my Chinese visa and got it back on the same day. Only in HK is such a thing possible. So I'm booked to go Beijing on Wednesday.
HK is going crazy for Christmas, as per usual.
Sammy is doing well.
So is her website on crocheting. Tap here to have a look, if that's your thing.
And her sign informing the general public that there are no prostitutes working in her apartment. Evidently her previous residents had a thriving trade. She still gets visitors, including under cover cops. It's good to see City Church stationery put to such good use.
This what HK looks like in the rain from the window of a moving boat.
And a bridge.
Well I'm at the Vancouver Airport. Why .. to fly Hong Kong, Beijing, Hong Kong and Adelaide ... all by Christmas. It can be done.
Which reminds me . I watched Clooney's 'Up In The Air' and, as a person that used to travel 6 months of the year for their job, and has now been on the go for 42 months, I must say I loved it. And I saw Fantastic Mr Fox. All I can say it George, you old scoundrel, you've done it again! And I did my own version of this scene today as I forgot where I packed my passport. Good thing I was 4 hours early for my flight!
The emotion ....
The teamwork ...
The victories ...
The Russian chicks.
Oh, did I forget to mention the Russian chicks .... Anyway, blogs up to date, up to this second. So read up, and I will be in Hong Kong when we next meet. Победа для России!!!!!!!
Never a doubt. (Although Dave Reachil gave me a book that explains how planes crash. Thanks Dave].
Snow below us. Sun beside us. Blue sky above. We're off to Vancouver.
The cultural epicentre of Canada.
Pam and Ashley prove their resistance to both strains of world flu pandemic ... champagne comedy, oh my sides!
But no ones laughing.
